Lesson #22

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS

ISAIAH 23
Lesson #22
THE BURDEN OF TYRE (TODAY’S LEBANON)

• MEMORY VERSE: PRO 18:11

• READ ISA 23:1-18 THE BURDEN OF TYRE (PHOENICIA. LEBANON TODAY.)
• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
• PHOENICIA WAS A MARITIME NATION, AND TYRE WAS A WORLD CAPITAL FOR 2,000 YEARS. THEY HAD A LARGE FLEET OF SHIPS THAT TRADED ALL OVER THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA AND UP ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST TO GREAT BRITAIN. TRADE WAS THEIR WEALTH. TYRE AND SIDON WERE THE MAIN CITIES OF PHOENICIA. SIDON WAS THE OLDER CITY THAT SPAWNED THE RISE OF TYRE. HOWEVER, TYRE SOON OUT-DISTANCED THE WEALTH OF SIDON. THE PHOENICIANS WERE A PROGRESSIVE AND INNOVATIVE PEOPLE (THEY INVENTED THE ALPHABET AND TRADED PAPYRUS, THE PRECURSOR TO PAPER). THEY EVEN ESTABLISHED TRADING COLONIES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD (MUCH LIKE HONG KONG USED TO BE FOR THE BRITISH EMPIRE). FOR EXAMPLE:
• TARSHISH, A CITY ON THE COAST OF SPAIN.
• REMEMBER THAT THIS IS THE CITY TO WHERE JONAH WAS FLEEING FROM GOD.
• CARTHAGE, A CITY ON THE COAST OF NORTH AFRICA.
• HIRAM, THE KING OF TYRE, WAS A GOOD FRIEND TO KING DAVID.
• KING AHAB, FROM THE NORTHERN KINGDOM, MARRIED A PHOENICIAN PRINCESS NAMED JEZEBEL. (1KI 16:29-33)
• HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CITY OF TYRE? (7,8,11)
• THIS WAS A LARGE, WEALTHY CITY OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR ITS TRADE AND INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD OF THAT DAY. A CITY WITH TRADING COLONIES.
• THE PROPHECY BY ISAIAH:
• THE MERCHANT TRADING SHIPS FROM OTHER NATIONS ARE TOLD TO GO HOME BECAUSE THIS TRADING NATION WOULD BE DESTROYED.
• -SHIPS FROM TARSHISH, (IN SPAIN) DOCKED IN CHITTIM (CYPRUS) HEAR OF THE DESTRUCTION. (1)
• -EGYPT RELIED HEAVILY ON THE PHOENICIANS TO TRADE THEIR GOODS (5) (INCLUDING PAPYRUS). ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRADE GOODS FROM EGYPT IS MENTIONED HERE IN VERSE 3:
• “THE SEED OF SHIHOR (BLACK SILT), THE HARVEST OF THE RIVER” = CORN FROM THE NILE RIVER VALLEY.
• TYRE AND SIDON WOULD NO LONGER SPAWN TRADING COLONIES. THE CITIES ARE PICTURED AS A BARREN MOTHER. (4)
• “TYRE, THE CROWNING CITY” = ESTABLISHED CROWN COLONIES.
• THE PHOENICIANS ARE TOLD TO FLEE TO TARSHISH TO AVOID THE DESTRUCTION OF TYRE. (6)
• THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE CAUSE OF THIS DESTRUCTION. (9)
• WHY WAS GOD SO AGAINST THESE PEOPLE?
• GOD DID NOT LIKE THEIR ATTITUDE OF WORLDLINESS
• GOD DID NOT LIKE THEIR WORSHIP OF BAAL. THIS GOD WAS INTRODUCED INTO ISRAEL BY QUEEN JEZEBEL.
• THE PHOENICIANS DESIRED TO POSSESS THE TRADE ROUTES OF JUDAH.
• THE PHOENICIANS DESIRED THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. (EZE 26:2)
• JUDAH SOUGHT HELP FROM THE PHOENICIANS AGAINST THE BABYLONIAN INVASION BUT PHOENICIA TURNED THEM DOWN. (EZE 26:2)
• THE TRADING COLONIES LIKE TARSHISH WOULD BE LEFT FREE LIKE A WANDERING RIVER WITH NO BANKS AS THEIR GUIDE. (10)
• THE PEOPLE OF SIDON WILL FLEE TO CYPRUS BUT DO NOT ESCAPE THE DESTRUCTION. (12)
• WHO IS THE ENEMY THAT DESTROYS THE PHOENICIAN EMPIRE? (13)
• FIRST FULFILLMENT: THE ASSYRIANS
• SECOND FULFILLMENT: THE BABYLONIANS (CHALDEANS)
• NEBUCHADNEZZAR, THE BABYLONIAN KING, WHOM WE SEE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL, PLACED A SIEGE AROUND TYRE IN 585 BC. (THE YEAR AFTER HE TOOK JUDAH CAPTIVE). HOWEVER, IT TOOK 13 YEARS (585-573 BC) TO ACCOMPLISH THE DESTRUCTION.
• THE TRANSLATION OF VERSE 13:
• “BEHOLD THE LAND OF THE CHALDEANS, THIS PEOPLE IS NO MORE (WAS NOT). THE ASSYRIANS APPOINTED (FOUNDED) IT FOR THOSE WHO DWELL IN THE WILDERNESS; THEY SET UP ITS SIEGE TOWERS, THEY OVERTHREW (RAISED UP) ITS PALACES AND HE (NEBUCHADNEZZAR) BROUGHT IT TO RUIN.”
• “TYRE SHALL BE FORGOTTEN 70 YEARS ACCORDING TO THE DAYS OF ONE KING. AFTER THE END OF 70 YEARS TYRE SHALL SING AS A HARLOT (15) THERE ARE ALREADY TWO FULFILLMENTS TO THIS VERSE IN ISA.
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:

THE ASSYRIANS DESTROYED THE CITY OF TYRE AND PUT A RESTRICTION ON TRADE FOR 70 YEARS. WHEN THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE BEGAN TO LOSE ITS POWER, TYRE REVIVED.(730-600 BC)

• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:

THEN CAME THE BABYLONIAN KING, NEBUCHADNEZZAR. AFTER NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DESTRUCTION, THE CITY OF TYRE LAY DESOLATE FOR 70 YEARS. THEN IT WAS REBUILT AS A TRADE CENTER IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECAPTURE ITS FORMER TRADING STATUS. (17)

• THE TWO FULFILLMENTS OF EZEKIEL’S PROPHECY:
• READ EZEKIEL 26:1-21
• THE PROPHECY IN EZEKIEL IS A MORE COMPLETE PROPHETIC PICTURE OF TYRE BECAUSE IT INCLUDES MORE OF THE DETAILS OF ANOTHER SECOND FULFILLMENT.
• FIRST FULFILLMENT

: DESTRUCTION BY BABYLON

• 70 YEARS AFTER NEBUCHADNEZZAR DESTROYED THE CITY, IT WAS REBUILT AND FLOURISHED AGAIN AS A TRADING CENTER.
• SECOND FULFILLMENT:

DESTRUCTION BY THE GREEKS

• TYRE WOULD BE LIKE A TABLE TOP, SCRAPED CLEAN TO REMAIN A PLACE WHERE ONLY FISHERMEN SPREAD THEIR NETS. (EZE 26:4-5, 14)
• THE CITY WAS DESTROYED AGAIN BY ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN 332 BC. (EZE 26:12)
• ALEXANDER HAD TROUBLE TAKING THE CITY BECAUSE PART OF IT WAS ON AN ISLAND OUT FROM SHORE. ALEXANDER DESTROYED THE PART OF THE CITY ON THE SHORE AND THEN SCRAPED ALL THE RUBBLE INTO THE WATER TO MAKE A CAUSEWAY OUT TO THE ISLAND. HIS CHARIOTS RODE OVER THE CAUSEWAY AND DESTROYED THE ISLAND CITY. IT WAS NEVER REBUILT AFTER THAT.
• EZE 26:19 HAS NEVER BEEN FULFILLED BUT WAITS FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WHEN A GREAT EARTHQUAKE SHALL RE-ARRANGE LAND MASSES AND SEAS. (ZEC 14:3-4)
• BACK TO ISA 23:15-18 FOR A FINAL SECOND FULFILLMENT:
• SOME INTERESTING COMMENTS:
• NOTICE THE PHRASE “IN THAT DAY”. (15)
• -VERSES 16 AND 17 ARE REMINISCENT OF REV 17 AND 18 WHERE BABYLON IS SPOKEN OF AS A HARLOT. REV 18:9,19 SPEAKS ABOUT THE NATIONS BEING INVOLVED IN WORLD TRADE AND SEEING THE DESTRUCTION.
• REVELATION DOES NOT MENTION TYRE IN THIS…ONLY THE WORDING REGARDING DESTRUCTION OF TRADE IS SIMILAR.
• -THERE IS A CITY OF TYRE TODAY, BUT IT WAS REBUILT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION. YOU CAN STILL SEE ALEXANDER THE GREAT’S CAUSEWAY OUT TO THE ISLAND OF OLD TYRE.
• -THESE PROPHECIES DID NOT PREDICT THE DESTRUCTION OF SIDON WHICH STILL EXISTS TODAY. IT IS THE PLACE FROM WHERE OIL IS SHIPPED TO OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD.
• -TARSHISH IS MENTIONED IN THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR OF EZE 38-39. (SEE EZE 38:13)
• -THE RECENT HISTORICAL BOMBING AND DESTRUCTION OF BEIRUT, LEBANON (1975-1976) IS VERY REMINISCENT OF THE WAY ISA 23 READS. OF COURSE, BEIRUT IS NOT TYRE, NOR SIDON. BEIRUT WAS THE RIVIERA OF THE MIDDLE EAST, A BEAUTIFUL GEM OF A CITY WITH GRAND HOTELS AND AN EXTRAVAGANT TOURIST TRADE, TOTALLY GONE IN 1976. THERE IS AN ATTEMPT TODAY TO RECAPTURE SOME OF THE TOURIST TRADE, BUT WITH SYRIA AND ISRAEL STILL OCCUPYING PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND FIGHTING OVER IT, LEBANON STILL STRUGGLES FOR SURVIVAL.
• VERSE 18
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT OF ISA 23 IS SEEN IN VERSE 18 WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN FULFILLED.
• ACCORDING TO THE PROPHECIES IN ISA 23 AND EZE 26, AND THE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY FULFILLED, IT SEEMS THAT ONLY VERSE 18 REMAINS FOR A FUTURE SECOND FULFILLMENT.
• DURING THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST, TYRE WILL BE RESTORED AGAIN AS A TRADE CENTER.
• HOWEVER, THE COMMERCE AND ECONOMICS WILL NOT BE FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT BUT TO SUPPLY THE OTHER NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIUM TO THE GLORY OF GOD.
• APPLICATION:
• WHAT PART OF OUT MODERN SOCIETY IS REPRESENTED BY TYRE?
• REMEMBER THAT IN OUR LAST LESSON WE SAW THAT THE THIRD STAGE BEFORE JUDGMENT IS ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
• WHAT SHOULD BE THE ATTITUDE AND CONDITION OF OUR FINANCES?
• GET OUT OF DEBT.
• STAY OUT OF DEBT.
• GIVE ABUNDANTLY TO GOD.

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 24
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 23
• WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO REGARDING YOUR FINANCES TO MAKE THEM LINE UP WITH A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE?
• PREPARATION FOR ISA 24
• READ ISA 24:1-23
• TO WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DO THINK THIS CHAPTER REFERS?
• HOW DO YOU KNOW?
• WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT THE REMNANT?

MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 18:3 OR PSALMS 34:6